Europe open: Stoxx surges after China posts record surplus

(Sharecast News) - European shares jumped again at the open after China reported a record trade surplus, pushing the Stoxx 600 index to yet another intra-day high. The benchmark index hit a record 61246, a gain of 0.28%, at 0812 GMT. All other bourses were higher, with the UK's FTSE 100 hitting an intra-day peak of 10, 171.

China's trade surplus with the rest of the world reached a record $1.2trn in 2025 as exports to the European Union and Southeast Asia surged in response to higher tariffs in the US.

In dollar terms, the world's second-largest economy reported a trade balance of $1.189trn last year, up from 2024's record of $993bn.

Exports jumped 5.5% over the year to $3.77trn, as a 20% drop in exports to the US was made up by significant increases in trade with countries in Africa (where exports rose 25.8%), the ASEAN region (up 13.4%) and the EU (exports up 8.4%).

Trade figures for December released on Wednesday showed that the surplus rose to a seven-month high of $114.1bn as year-on-year export growth picked up to 6.6% from 5.9%, smashing the 3.0% consensus estimate. Imports also beat estimates in December, rising 5.7% year-on-year.

This was the seventh month in 2025 that saw the surplus top the $100bn mark.

Investors were also keeping an eye on US responses to the killing of anti-regime protestors in Iran, with President Donald Trump warning of "very strong action" if the country's Islamic rulers executed any of those arrested.

On a separate front, talks were set to take place between American Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Greenlandic and Danish officials over Trump's repeated threats to annexe the semi-autonomous Danish territory.

In equity news, Orion shares surged by more than 10% as the Finnish drug company said sales of its Nubeqa prostate cancer drug could top $1bn.

BP shares fell as the energy major said it would book up to $5bn in impairments in the fourth quarter with oil and gas production expected to be flat.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com